Design of golf irons!

[delc]

I am 6ft tall with arms like a baboon! I bought Titleist 710 AP2's in 2* flat and mid size grips! nothing too odd there. The other day I was offered £300 for them so they can be shifted if you buy decent gear! The only thing that cost more on the c/f with Titleist was my shaft choice and different grips, but, other companies don't charge extra for these changes. You can always buy forged clubs and have them bent where you purchase them from and I doubt they would charge for that!

Even better quality cast clubs can usually be bent +/- 2 degrees, but with some risk of snapping the hosel beyond this. Ping will adjust any of their clubs for free, but you have to bear the cost of getting your clubs to and from their factory at Gainsborough.

 

[chrisd]

Even better quality cast clubs can usually be bent +/- 2 degrees, but with some risk of snapping the hosel beyond this. Ping will adjust any of their clubs for free, but you have to bear the cost of getting your clubs to and from their factory at Gainsborough.

So, 99.99% of people never bend a cast club and Ping do custom fit at the point of ordering so there should be little need to send them to the factory. In any case, most club pros can alter loft and lies to forged clubs.

I don't know the level you play at Del, but, if your good enough that a set of "off the shelf clubs" give you noticable problems then you would certainly go custom fit anyway and most club manufacturers offer this service, either through a factory visit or regional pro's. If you're a high handicapper then I suggest, golf lessons would be of much greater value than worrying about redesigning every golf club on the market

 

[USER1999]

Pretty sure this is because you putt with your wedges!!

Very true!

 

[delc]

So, 99.99% of people never bend a cast club and Ping do custom fit at the point of ordering so there should be little need to send them to the factory. In any case, most club pros can alter loft and lies to forged clubs.

I don't know the level you play at Del, but, if your good enough that a set of "off the shelf clubs" give you noticable problems then you would certainly go custom fit anyway and most club manufacturers offer this service, either through a factory visit or regional pro's. If you're a high handicapper then I suggest, golf lessons would be of much greater value than worrying about redesigning every golf club on the market

For the record my current handicap is 10.6, up from 10.2 in October last year because I have since played a few qualifiers in less than ideal winter conditions. Not too bad for a 67 year old. Because I am a fairly average 5'10" tall every spotty youth in American Golf, etc, has always assured me that standard clubs would be absolutely perfect for me. It was only when I went for a custom fitting last year that I discovered that I needed 2 degrees flat lie. I got my handicap down from 13 to 10 after getting some custom fitted clubs!

As I pointed out earlier in this thread, Taylor Made almost got their iron design right for a while (although I never owned such a set), so it CAN be done!

 

[Waitforme]

I'd not buy a set of irons without a fitting.
If you want to check if your current irons are correct for you put 2 or 3 layers of insulating tape on the sole, swing on a piece of board or something that will mark the tape , be sure to stand on the same level as the board with your golf shoes on.
The mark on the bottom of the club will let you know the part of the iron that is striking the board.
2 mins and you know if they need adjusted or not.

 

[delc]

I'd not buy a set of irons without a fitting.
If you want to check if your current irons are correct for you put 2 or 3 layers of insulating tape on the sole, swing on a piece of board or something that will mark the tape , be sure to stand on the same level as the board with your golf shoes on.
The mark on the bottom of the club will let you know the part of the iron that is striking the board.
2 mins and you know if they need adjusted or not.

Still doesn't solve the problem of playing off sidehill lies, when a more curved bottom edge would be beneficial. If I possibly can, I try to play a hybrid with a more curved sole from such situations, gripping down as necessary.

 

[HawkeyeMS]

Still doesn't solve the problem of playing off sidehill lies, when a more curved bottom edge would be beneficial. If I possibly can, I try to play a hybrid with a more curved sole from such situations, gripping down as necessary.

Why are you always looking for something or someone to help you play shots from awkward positions. If I find myself not being able to play a certain shot particularly well, I ask myself how I can improve and that usually means practicing or getting a lesson. I have never found myself unable to play a certain shot and wondering if I could change the design of something or a rule to solve the situation. If you can't play a certain shot, practice, it's simple.

 

[Foxholer]

Apart from maybe raising the centre of gravity a fraction, would there be any real problems in making the soles of iron clubs a bit more curved? It would certainly make them more of a universal fit and easier to hit off side-hill lies.

I believe this would make them unacceptably less forgiving!

And with over 500 years of 'development', I'm pretty sure this sort thing has already been tried - and found wanting. There have certainly some weird looking 'specialist' clubs in the past.

 

[Slab]

My Wilson sand wedge has a curved leading edge, gives me a lot of confidence that it'll enter the sand properly... but maybe OP wasn't really referring to wedges in the opening post

 

[Foxholer]

Still doesn't solve the problem of playing off sidehill lies, when a more curved bottom edge would be beneficial. If I possibly can, I try to play a hybrid with a more curved sole from such situations, gripping down as necessary.

So you want something that will help you on side-hill lies, the hole made bigger to 'overcome' your yips. I have little doubt you use a motorised trolley, a big-headed Driver, and probably GI irons. Is there anything else, short of getting someone else to play your shots, that will make the game easier for you? That's one of the wonderful things about the Handicap system, at least for those that don't maintain a Vanity one! You can still be competitive, even if you are a poor player! And if you play mainly with your contemporaries, then you are all in the same boat - declining ability - so a pretty even match can be had.

 

[chrisd]

For the record my current handicap is 10.6, up from 10.2 in October last year because I have since played a few qualifiers in less than ideal winter conditions. Not too bad for a 67 year old. Because I am a fairly average 5'10" tall every spotty youth in American Golf, etc, has always assured me that standard clubs would be absolutely perfect for me. It was only when I went for a custom fitting last year that I discovered that I needed 2 degrees flat lie. I got my handicap down from 13 to 10 after getting some custom fitted clubs!

As I pointed out earlier in this thread, Taylor Made almost got their iron design right for a while (although I never owned such a set), so it CAN be done!

My understanding is that standard length clubs are ideal for a man of 5ft 10in the lie is dependent largely on the make of club as there is no standard on this. I was fitted for Mizuno and recommended to have standard lie but in the AP'2 I bought that translated into 2* flat for the same result.

If no club manufacturer makes what you suggest its because they either, don't work, or wouldn't sell. Manufacturers are looking for every gimmick to steel a march on their rivals and they, for sure, wouldn't miss this if it were truly feasible.

 

[delc]

My custom fitted clubs are standard length, apart from the wedges which are 1/2" shorter (personal preference), but 2 degrees flat lie. As I have already stated the TM Burner and RBZ irons were more less the right shape.

 

[delc]

P.S. I know that manufacturers specs can vary by one degree or so for lie. I almost fit standard Mizuno clubs, but for Wilson, Taylor Made and Ping I need 2 degrees flat. Orange dot (2.25 degrees flat) in the case of Ping.

 

[London mike 61]

One day some bright spark will come along and reinvent the humble iron in such a way that the user will be able to adjust the lie angle themselves . It might sound like hokum now but who would have thought that drivers could be adjustable 50 years ago?

 

[EuanRoss]

Land on sidehill lie - adjust stance (open or closed) - adjust ball position in feet (further forward or back) - adjust aim (right or left) - hit shot.

Why do so many golfers (not just del) want solutions for everything presented to them. People nowadays would rather manufacture a club for a particular position on the course than manufacture a shot. Seve will be turning in his grave.

My particular pet hate for this is the hybrid. Especially hearing the phrase "oh I can't get my hybrid on that one, it's not a great lie".

We'll stop moaning, don't hit it in the rough, get an iron out and whack it down the fairway.