How far do you hit your PW?

[Lord Tyrion]

If the numbers are meaningless then why have them? I'm with Crow, surely they are there as a guide but if the differences are so large between makes and models then what is the point. Just put the loft on, forget the iron number.

 

[hovis]

OK, so I play golf with almost zero help from my clubs and enjoy it. my 65 year old friend has a slow swing speed but still gets the ball up there because he uses these strong lofted clubs which produce good ball speed. he needs the design of the club to get the launch and spin. he can't hit my clubs for toffie. what should happen here? tough luck? he wouldn't enjoy his golf as much hitting his 7 iron knee hight and 100 yards. on the flip side, I can't use these clubs as I get a huge difference in ball speed as the face is so inconsistent

 

[hovis]

If the numbers are meaningless then why have them? I'm with Crow, surely they are there as a guide but if the differences are so large between makes and models then what is the point. Just put the loft on, forget the iron number.

the numbers are relevant "to you". it wouldn’t take long to realise your pw goes an extra 5 yards. what club you have in your hands shouldn't matter as long as you know how far it goes. for that you need a reference written on the club

 

[Deleted member 15344]

For me the number on the bottom of the club should be an indication of how far it will go, of course that will differ depending on whose hands the club is in, but Player A should be able to pick up a 7 iron (for instance) and know that they will be able to hit it roughly "x" yards. The same if they picked up another 7 iron by another manufacturer.

It just makes a mockery of having numbered irons, would you be okay with a 21 degree PW?

It's wrong on so many levels, for instance when we've played a round of golf one of the things we sometimes do afterwards is discuss shots played, "I hit a 7 iron into the green on the 13th", once this gave you a good idea of the distance covered, now it could be anything from 140 to 200 yards.

(The question on the thread title was a rhetorical one)

For me when I get new equipment - I find out how far I hit each club and then use whatever number club I would need - wouldn’t matter to me what the actually number is .

There is so many differing variables now when picking which clubs to hit or try - not just the loft but the material , the shaft , the stiffness etc

People should just hit the club and then work out from there - what someones else hits into a green for me is irrelevant- all that matters is what you need to hit

 

[Deleted member 1147]

If the numbers are meaningless then why have them?.

So you know what club you are hitting, ie, if you hit a 7 iron 150 you know that when you have a 150yd shot that you should pick the 7 iron out of your bag.
It doesn't have to be a number, it could be a loft, you could pick your 35 degree club.

It's just a reference point.

 

[Deleted member 1147]

They are now making lighter shafts, and custom fitting them to players specifications, which can have a large impact on the distances people hit shots.

Should we go to a standard weight, flex and kick point in the shafts, rather than being able to pick and choose them?

 

[IanM]

I know a young lad who has 3 yardages written on the back of his short clubs in marker pen... for 100%/75% and 50% swing! He'll be "laser-ing" his putts next!

 

[Deleted member 1147]

For me the number on the bottom of the club should be an indication of how far it will go, of course that will differ depending on whose hands the club is in, but Player A should be able to pick up a 7 iron (for instance) and know that they will be able to hit it roughly "x" yards. The same if they picked up another 7 iron by another manufacturer.

It just makes a mockery of having numbered irons, would you be okay with a 21 degree PW?

It's wrong on so many levels, for instance when we've played a round of golf one of the things we sometimes do afterwards is discuss shots played, "I hit a 7 iron into the green on the 13th", once this gave you a good idea of the distance covered, now it could be anything from 140 to 200 yards.

(The question on the thread title was a rhetorical one)

Out of interest, what loft should a driver be?

 

[Deleted member 1147]

I know a young lad who has 3 yardages written on the back of his short clubs in marker pen... for 100%/75% and 50% swing! He'll be "laser-ing" his putts next!

Is he good at distance control with his wedges?

 

[hovis]

he explains it better than me

 

[patricks148]

i always though it is strange that its rolled out that these strong lofted iron are aimed at people struggle to hit long irons, so what makes it easier hitting a 6 iron, thats is to all intense a 4 iron, same loft and often same legnth???

 

[Crow]

OK, so I play golf with almost zero help from my clubs and enjoy it. my 65 year old friend has a slow swing speed but still gets the ball up there because he uses these strong lofted clubs which produce good ball speed. he needs the design of the club to get the launch and spin. he can't hit my clubs for toffie. what should happen here? tough luck? he wouldn't enjoy his golf as much hitting his 7 iron knee hight and 100 yards. on the flip side, I can't use these clubs as I get a huge difference in ball speed as the face is so inconsistent

Nothing against him using those clubs but why does he need the wrong number on the bottom to kid himself he hits his 7 iron 170 yards? (or whatever distance)

 

[SwingsitlikeHogan]

Don't want to try and hit my 46* PW more than 115yds

 

[Crow]

For me when I get new equipment - I find out how far I hit each club and then use whatever number club I would need - wouldn’t matter to me what the actually number is .

There is so many differing variables now when picking which clubs to hit or try - not just the loft but the material , the shaft , the stiffness etc

People should just hit the club and then work out from there - what someones else hits into a green for me is irrelevant- all that matters is what you need to hit

If the number is irrelevant then why keep moving the goalposts?

And why do clubs only ever get stronger?

Because golfers are suckers.

 

[Crow]

They are now making lighter shafts, and custom fitting them to players specifications, which can have a large impact on the distances people hit shots.

Should we go to a standard weight, flex and kick point in the shafts, rather than being able to pick and choose them?

Lighter shafts/clubs were a big sales fashion 30 or 40 years ago, us suckers all fell for it and will probably do so again now that it's been re-invented.

 

[hovis]

Nothing against him using those clubs but why does he need the wrong number on the bottom to kid himself he hits his 7 iron 170 yards? (or whatever distance)

he doesn't need anything other than the knowledge of how far he can hit each club in his bag. he associates a distance with the number on the club like we all do.

 

[Crow]

Out of interest, what loft should a driver be?

You know as well as I do that a driver isn't a club we go to to hit a precise distance in the same way we do our irons.

But even then they tend to be around 8 to 12 degrees and haven't changed from that for many, many years apart from when TM kidded us suckers with Loft Up

 

[hovis]

If the number is irrelevant then why keep moving the goalposts?

And why do clubs only ever get stronger?

Because golfers are suckers.

because technology is improving allowing even thinner faces and maximum weight crammed into smaller places. if you think it's all a con then can you explain why there are no jacked blades on the market

 

[Deleted member 15344]

If the number is irrelevant then why keep moving the goalposts?

And why do clubs only ever get stronger?

Because golfers are suckers.

But does it really matter ?

It’s still all about getting the ball in the hole - what club people use is only relevant to the person swinging it

Does it really matter what club someone uses to hit 150 - as long as they know which club it is ? There is no rule that says - it must be a 7 iron at 38 degrees loft ?

It’s all about manufacturers trying to make clubs that are “easier” to hit further - and at times that means changing the lofts

 

[Crow]

he doesn't need anything other than the knowledge of how far he can hit each club in his bag. he associates a distance with the number on the club like we all do.

Precisely, yet manufacturers are making fools of us and we're buying it with every new release.