Getting used to new irons.

[DanFST]

How long does it take you to get used to new clubs? I've recently changed from a set of Cobra baffler irons (Big, heavy and lots of offset). To some nike pro blades, because I love looking down at them.

The Problem (it's not massive) but since changing, my flight shape has changed. Before with the bafflers it was a very high draw, which went a long way and landed relatively softly. However, it was annoying when it was very windy!

Since changing the flight is more driven, lower flight. Distance is slightly down, but that doesn't bother me. The problem i'm having is my shape has changed from a baby draw, to a slight fade. It's not a problem it's just something i'm going to have to get used to. I assume this is from having no offset compared to before, and also the heads weighing considerably less. My driver/woods/Hybrids have exactly the same flight as before.

 

[duncan mackie]

This is more the effect of fundamentally different irons using the same swing than "getting used to" them.

You will have to change your current swing to change the outcome - and that will change you other clubs outputs!

 

[garyinderry]

could the lie of the new irons be different cause this?

 

[HomerJSimpson]

I tend to have a couple of range sessions with any new club(s) I buy before going out onto the course

 

[Oddsocks]

New clubs arrived yesterday, 140 balls down the range last night and it's straight into medal mode on Sunday. I'll adapt my distances with the first few holes then crack on :thup:

 

[SammmeBee]

Nike blades? Had them - lasted 3 rounds.....never even bothered taking the 3 and 4 irons out after the 1st round. Far too hard to hit - get rid for something more playable.......

I still have the 8/9/PW in my combo set though......

 

[Nosevi]

Could be the shaft flexes are different as well as the heads? Rough rule of thumb would be that if they are stiffer flex you'll tend towards a fade compared to a draw with the old clubs. Not always the case but often is.

Regarding how long it takes to get used to new clubs - had my new set a few weeks and only now starting to get used to them, they are very different spec to the old clubs though. That said, now I'm getting used to them I'm getting better results than with my old set already.

 

[DanFST]

Could be the shaft flexes are different as well as the heads? Rough rule of thumb would be that if they are stiffer flex you'll tend towards a fade compared to a draw with the old clubs. Not always the case but often is.

Regarding how long it takes to get used to new clubs - had my new set a few weeks and only now starting to get used to them, they are very different spec to the old clubs though. That said, now I'm getting used to them I'm getting better results than with my old set already.

Wow, whats the science behind this? My old Shafts were regular cobras, and these are stuff DG s300's.

 

[Smiffy]

Wow, whats the science behind this? My old Shafts were regular cobras, and these are stuff DG s300's.

That's some change!
The S300's are a low launching shaft and are quite a bit heavier than the Cobra regular shafts that were fitted as standard in your Bafflers.
I think you're just going to have to get used to a lower launching flight.

 

[Oddsocks]

S300 is a massive step from cobra regs. I'm still pretty young (35) and Single figs and I can't load the s300 enough to make it work. Px5.5, kbs tour stiff or xp105 s300 is about my limit

 

[Smiffy]

S300 is a massive step from cobra regs. I'm still pretty young (35) and Single figs and I can't load the s300 enough to make it work.

That's what I found with the regular Ping steels after playing graphite for so long Baz.
Felt like pokers in my hand, and my attempts to load them up, or get them working, saw me starting to sway badly which is now affecting everything.
Got some work to do over the course of the next few weeks, and have even booked up a few lessons with the pro to help me get back to basics and get rid of the sway, allowing the shafts to do the work.

 

[delc]

Wow, whats the science behind this? My old Shafts were regular cobras, and these are stuff DG s300's.

More flexible shafts cause the club head to flex slightly forward (increasing effective loft) and close at impact, assuming a decent swing, hence encouraging a high draw. Stiffer shafts are more likely to cause a low fade due to less flexing.

 

[Maninblack4612]

I don't think you should need any time to "get used" to new clubs. If you need to get used to them it implies that they're not producing the shot you want with the swing you've got and that you need to change your swing to suit the clubs. If you don't like the low fade, & I certainly wouldn't, you've got the wrong clubs.

 

[delc]

I don't think you should need any time to "get used" to new clubs. If you need to get used to them it implies that they're not producing the shot you want with the swing you've got and that you need to change your swing to suit the clubs. If you don't like the low fade, & I certainly wouldn't, you've got the wrong clubs.

I think that a lot of players buy stiff shafted clubs when they would be better off with regular shafts! Probably a macho willie-waving thing! Certainly a lot of stiff shafted secondhand clubs for sale on ebay! I would suggest getting a custom fit and going along with the fitter's recommendations on shaft type. If you need a stiff shaft he will tell you this, but if you are not hitting your drives 280 yards plus, you probably won't. i

 

[Nosevi]

Wow, whats the science behind this? My old Shafts were regular cobras, and these are stuff DG s300's.

As some have said, that makes perfect sense. I'd say the Pro blades would make your flight slightly lower for a given loft compared to your old irons (CofG was probably lower on the old irons - think of this like the 'umph' being applied to the ball lower down so pushes it up more.) but the shaft flex being quite a bit stiffer affects how it flexes through the swing making it also go lower and the club face to be a bit open. I'll see if I can explain below. If you don't want to be 'geeked out' please don't read......

When you load a shaft in a golf swing your hands start down before the club head and so the club shaft bows backwards. As the club head weight is above the shaft (ie away from the shaft) the club head weight also applies a twisting force on the shaft and so the club face opens a bit as you start down. As you accelerate down, the shaft bends a bit more until the force you've built up in the shaft overcomes your acceleration and the shaft 'releases' (for want of a better word) that force and the club shaft fires the head forwards and it twists closed again. It's not nearly as extreme as some photos you see which is more to do with how a digital camera processes the image on its sensor - different topic though.....

Anyway, this firing forward of the shaft is in essence what you are trying to fit for. Too flexible and the shaft bend can be too much making control difficult and when it fires forwards it's too extreme and the shaft bends forward too much in essence adding loft as the club introduces a bit of a scooping action of it's own, and the club face whips closed too much putting 'hook spin' on your ball. The result is a higher right to left ball flight (for a right hander). Too stiff and you don't energise the shaft enough to get a good bend in it so it doesn't fire forwards through the ball as much. The result is you lose distance as through impact the club is only moving at the pace your hands and arms can move it rather than adding a 'flick' of its own. In addition you don't have the club bending back forwards and so you don't have the loft that would add or the closing of the club face - you get a lower ball flight and the ball has less right to left spin for a given hand position, too much and that becomes left to right. The fix is simply close the club face a tad compared to how you used to have it but this will again lower the ball flight which might not be ideal.

I say all this with a caveat of 'usually' or 'normally' as you can also change the kick point of a shaft (the point at which the shaft bends most..... sort of) to change the ball flight and the rate at which you accelerate in the swing is probably more important than the overall swing speed - a smooth long swing will normally want a softer flex, a short high accelerating swing would normally want a stiffer shaft given the same swing speed of both.

I use Project X 6.5s, not because I've got Rory-esque swing speed (actually he just stepped up to Project X 7.0 but was 6.5 not long ago) but because while he applies force to the shaft over a long, graceful swing, I'm a fat 40 year old and so have nowhere near the flexibility and apply the force over a much shorter distance, both of us 'energise' the shaft though. This shows a fitting and the resultant flights. First is Project X 5.0, then Project X 5.5 and finally Projext X 6.5. The shafts are being energised so the launch remains up there but the ball flight gradually straightens out and you gain distance as you get towards the right fit for you. Go too far with the flex getting too stiff and the launch will drop, you'll lose distance and the ball will tend to leak right...... usually

 

[garyinderry]

[video=youtube;dCT9RWhSTEM]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dCT9RWhSTEM&list=UUZelGnfKLXic4gDP63dIRxw[/video]

Pretty much confirms what ive thought about driver flex for some time. Pretty modest swing speed of 101 and all 3 are launching pretty similar with the same spin.

Ive thought that shaft flex can play a bigger part in irons launch but not so much driver.

 

[garyinderry]

[video=youtube;b3n67r3Xdxg]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b3n67r3Xdxg&list=UUFHZHhZaH7Rc_FOMIzUziJA[/video]

Here is an even more modest 89 swing speed. He is using stiff flex without any problems and hitting his absolute best drives EVER. Still he searches for the comfort blanket of a regular shaft as that is what he has been told is right for him. A lot of slower swingers freak out when you tell them they are hitting a stiff/x shaft. They change their swing as they don't think they will launch it or swing harder as they think they need to murder it and end up missing the middle of the bat.

They then go on to talk about the feel of the club. "'its too boardy, it feels like an iron rod''. of course it it going to feel different, just like an other swing change it feels alien. It take a little time to get used to. it will feel different to EVERY single beginners club you have learnt the game with. Once you get over this 'feeling' because that is all it is, you should have more awareness of where the club head is and where it is facing.

Ive said it here before, in the future OEM's will start to stiffen up the shafts on their drivers across the board to improve accuracy coupled with the extra distance they are offering these days. That cannot be a bad thing.


In saying that, I think the ideal iron set would soften in flex as you move towards the longer irons and stiffen towards the shorter irons.

 

[delc]

I've still got an old set of Titleist irons fitted with Dynamic Gold S300 shafts from my younger days, when I was a longer hitter. The main difference I notice if I use them now is that slight miss-hits sting my hands more!

 

[markgs]

S300 is a massive step from cobra regs. I'm still pretty young (35) and Single figs and I can't load the s300 enough to make it work. Px5.5, kbs tour stiff or xp105 s300 is about my limit

I also find s300 a heavy shaft leave them to the teenagers

 

[HomerJSimpson]

I've bought off the shelf and I've been fitted. The fitting I had for the G25 and subsequent I25's on the monitor had me borderline stiff shaft but I wasn't convinced they were for me. In the end I compromised and got them hard stepped.