Broke one of my irons... again

[139sroberts]

Hi Guys,

As you can see, i am new here, well fairly, have been lurking for some time and have enjoyed reading all the banter

I am 23 and new to playing golf. This spring/ summer i have decided to give golf a try as recommended by my some of my friends.

After having a few dozen sessions at the driving range and a few rounds on the local 9 hole course (Mendip Spring Golf Club, near Weston-super-Mare) i have developed a lot of enthusiasm for the game, so much soon even, that i decided to book a block of lessons with the resident pro and invest in some kit.

I have purchased a lovely set of second hand Titleist 704-cb forged irons 3-pw for £120, a cheap ram driver (which I now regret but it’s not completely awful), a cheap hot blade putter which I’m happy with, and the new Wilson FY Fybrid which I really really like off the fairway. Am now looking for a nice 3 wood to add to my collection (happy to spend up to £100) and I think that will do me for the time being. Well, at least until I know a bit more about my game.

So, that’s a bit of background into me and how I have recently taken to golf. Now on to the fundamental point of this post…

When I went to the driving range for the first time some 8 weeks ago, I borrowed my mate’s cheapy Dunlop 7 Iron, part of a set he doesn’t use any more. After a few hits I started to hit it reasonable well off the small tee (roughly 100 yard reasonably straight). I then moved the ball onto the artificial mate and, after playing a few nice strokes I caught one fat (hitting the surface of the mat before the ball) and the iron head went flying off down the range! I felt really bad. Had to politely ask 10 or so other driving range users to stop whilst I retrieved it. My mate said not to worry about it as they were a cheap set which he never uses and encouraged me to keep playing, now with his cheapy 8 iron.

8 weeks on… After making some really good progress with my game, having had 3 of my 6 block of lessons, I was at the driving range last night and the same thing happened again (I caught one fat and the iron head went flying off down the range! Here comes that horrible feeling again

I guess I need to talk to my pro about this when I see him next week but I wanted to get this off my chest now. Luckily, I have just managed to ebay an ex-demo 6 iron for £20 (Titleist 704-cb).

I really don’t get it. My swing is good generally and my pro says I am coming along well.. Ok I still top the odd one, hit it fat or slice it occasionally but by in large most of my strikes go well.

Is this a common problem when taking the ball of the artificial mats at the driving range? Obviously It is nowhere near as forgiving as grass on the course but i haven't heard of any other stories of other people braking their clubs. I am too scared to do it again now in fear of hitting the odd one fat again.

Could it be because I am using second hand irons? I really don’t think so, my Titleist 704-cb do look in really good condition.

So I guess it must be me then.


Thanks for reading guys, sorry if I have rambled on but wanted to get this off my chest.


Steve

 

[3636]

hello 139 sroberts you should be able to get your club
re-shafted by your pro at the club.Some driving ranges
the mats are very thin and on concrete,that will do your
irons no good at all ive seen it happen at a range near
were i live.If you can go to a range were the mats are
thicker you should be ok.
3636 billy

 

[HTL]

Welcome to the forum!

You have a decent set of irons so don’t worry about that, every now and again these things happen, like 3636 said you can get it easily put back on again.

Is that you pin code 3636?

 

[3636]

htl when i joined the forum i just put 3636, i should have
put billy also.
3636 billy

 

[TonyN]

Sorry to say mate but if it was a dunlop iron, say no more! You get what you pay for i'm afraid. (or what ya mate pays for)

Who mentioned a snapped clb the other day, wasn't that a dunlop?

 

[HTL]

It was indeed TonyN, Without sounding too much of a golf snob, do you reckon he got them from JJB?

Dunlop should stick to squash!

P.S. WOOHOO the golf is back live on Sky

 

[RGuk]

Up until 2 months ago, I was playing with 15 year old clubs (irons) with rusty 10 year old shafts. I've never broken one on a range mat......but I know folks who have.....it's one of those things really....I've seen heads fly off on the course as well.

 

[vig]

I remember years ago when graphite shaft were in their infancy. I was playing at Barnsley GC in a 3 ball when a young man asked if he could join us.
We agreed and he produced a graphite shafted driver. We all teed off 3 woods and a 4 iron if i remember correctly.
He teed his ball up made a few swooshing practice swings. Blimey I thought, the noise was like a bloody albatross swooping in. He addressed his ball and thwack!!!!!. I saw through the corner of my eye, some dark object decending, i thought he'd hit a bird but it was his driver club head.

He looked suitably miffed and said "third one this month" we were absolutely creased up. I can't remember the make of the club but recall he paid a LOT of money for it.

I have also seen quite a few shafts littered around the course so it can't be such a rarity although how much is down to club abuse?
I got a nice putter reshafted for my nephew that he found stuffed in a bin at the side of a tee box

 

[backwoodsman]

Up until 2 months ago, I was playing with 15 year old clubs (irons) with rusty 10 year old shafts. I've never broken one on a range mat......but I know folks who have.....it's one of those things really....I've seen heads fly off on the course as well.

At a works day a couple of years ago, I went round with someone who lost the head off their 7 iron on the first hole. And who was three clubs down by the end of hole 5, and was seriously wondering whether they'dhave enough to make it to the 9th (& the club house/pro-shop).

And last year I was trying a couple of drivers on the range and the second one lost its head on the first strike. Had to go back into the shop & rather sheepishly hand back the shaft & inform them that the head was about 70 yards down the range. I remember it was a TM - but not the model

 

[geejayboy28]

I remember an incident back in the seventies when i was playing in an 18 hole Open down at Montrose.
I had just met my playing partner on the 1st Tee and after the usual introductions he informed me that he just couldn't get his woods working properly and as such would be using irons off the tee.
I drove off and stood back to watch him strike his first blow..........klank!!! His ball went 100yds up the middle of the fairway, and we spent the next few minutes looking for the head of his 5 iron in the left hand rough.
Just as a matter of interest.........I know you can only spend so long looking for a ball(5mins if my memory serves me right) but how long are you allowed to search for a clubhead?????