I changed my irons and am now a club shorter - why?

[Snelly]

Hi,

I have changed my clubs recently and now find I am (at least) a full club shorter with all irons. Why would this be? The lofts are the same, the shaft lengths are the same and I can only assume that I have suddenly become weak or the different shafts are the issue.

My old clubs were Callaway X-16 Pros and the shafts were rifled and labelled "Tour Stiff" and they did feel very stiff indeed.

The new irons are Callaway X-22 Tours and they have Rifle Project X 5.5 flighted shafts in them.


It is not a particularly big issue as I have adjusted my distances accordingly and just take one more club. I am interested to understand why this has transpired though so any opinions most welcome.

 

[bobmac]

Any reason why you went for the 5.5 rather than the 6 or 6.5?

 

[GreiginFife]

Has the ball flight changed? Higher perhaps, flighted shafts gave me a much higher ball flight which I didn't like.

 

[Foxholer]

If the old ones really were Tour Stiff, then you probably got used to hitting them harder, which suited them better with extra distance being the result.

The PX F5.5s, while still pretty stiff, probably feel a bit smoother, so you are not swinging them as hard. Give them a proper whack (they can take it) and see what happens - to the ones you hit straight!

BTW. Don't think a Rifled shaft was a standard fitting in the X16 Pros, so maybe changed?

On the subject of shafts.. had a few hits with some Soft-stepped X KBS C-Tapers (R9 TP Tour 'C' heads - my mate's a complete club 'Ho-er') and they felt (and looked!) particularly nice - better than my memory of KBS Tours (S).

 

[Snelly]

Any reason why you went for the 5.5 rather than the 6 or 6.5?

Because they were the ones in my mates shop!

And also because another pal has a set of Razr Tours with these shafts and they were about half a club longer than my old irons.

 

[Snelly]

Has the ball flight changed? Higher perhaps, flighted shafts gave me a much higher ball flight which I didn't like.

No it hasn't. I have always hit the ball with a high trajectory.

 

[Snelly]

If the old ones really were Tour Stiff, then you probably got used to hitting them harder, which suited them better with extra distance being the result.

The PX F5.5s, while still pretty stiff, probably feel a bit smoother, so you are not swinging them as hard. Give them a proper whack (they can take it) and see what happens - to the ones you hit straight!

BTW. Don't think a Rifled shaft was a standard fitting in the X16 Pros, so maybe changed?

On the subject of shafts.. had a few hits with some Soft-stepped X KBS C-Tapers (R9 TP Tour 'C' heads - my mate's a complete club 'Ho-er') and they felt (and looked!) particularly nice - better than my memory of KBS Tours (S).

Thanks for this but I am not a hard hitter and never have been. I don't think my swing has changed at all in the last two months.

I will give your suggestion of giving them a bit more oomph a try though as I am playing this afternoon.


I might yet be interested in the Callaways in Rick's garage. They had some tricky shafts in too.....

 

[Foxholer]

BTW. I was wrong about the X16 Pros and Rifles. Apparently it was an option. The Tour Stiff were a Weight Sorted, rather than Frequency Matched set (Constant Weight, like S300s etc). Stiffer tipped?

How far do/did you hit a 7-iron? Are the X22/PX5.5s more accurate? PX are traditionally a 'hitter's' shaft. So they didn't really suit me when I spent considerably swapping some dead feeling S300s from some CB201s!

 

[One Planer]

When did you last play Snelly? I ask as if tried in summer (I know, I know) with the warmer air, as opposed to recently you may have been getting a bit more out of them?

Food for thought maybe?

 

[Snelly]

How far do/did you hit a 7-iron? Are the X22/PX5.5s more accurate? PX are traditionally a 'hitter's' shaft.

X-16 7 iron - 157 yards
X-22 7 iron - 147 approx.

At Walton Heath yesterday I had a 144 yard shot on the flat with no wind to speak of. Pulled an 8 iron, hit it perfectly. Lovely connection, nice flight - way short. No idea why. Next hole, 159 yard par 3 in little wind. 2 mates hit 7 irons. I think a 6 might be better after the last 8 iron? They both know me well and say no way, you will be miles through the green with that. I concur, hit a 7 iron right at the pin. 10 yards short.

Another example just came to mind from the game I had with Rick last week - on the first at East Sussex National, I hit a really nice 7 iron that was right at the pin. A nice strike with plenty of club for the distance and I was way short and in a pond = blob! These shots and others I suppose have led me to this morning's conclusion.

Are they more accurate? No, about the same. I hit the ball pretty straight generally.


Gareth - good point about air temperature but yesterday was about 17 degrees so probably nicer than much of the summer! And I have played a bit recently so have got accurate comparisons. And there is no change with my hybrids, woods or wedges either.


The simple solution to this of course is to just get my old clubs regripped and back in the bag!

 

[bobmac]

Maybe you're just getting old
Time to try the i20s ?

 

[Paperboy]

The simple solution to this of course is to just get my old clubs regripped and back in the bag!

Or just hit a club more like you said in an earlier thread

 

[patricks148]

Hi,

I have changed my clubs recently and now find I am (at least) a full club shorter with all irons. Why would this be? The lofts are the same, the shaft lengths are the same and I can only assume that I have suddenly become weak or the different shafts are the issue.

My old clubs were Callaway X-16 Pros and the shafts were rifled and labelled "Tour Stiff" and they did feel very stiff indeed.

The new irons are Callaway X-22 Tours and they have Rifle Project X 5.5 flighted shafts in them.


It is not a particularly big issue as I have adjusted my distances accordingly and just take one more club. I am interested to understand why this has transpired though so any opinions most welcome.

What happened to the Mizuno MP62 you had?

 

[Snelly]

What happened to the Mizuno MP62 you had?

I played two rounds with them and decided that Mizuno MP-62 irons make golf more difficult to play in comparison to Callaway clubs. I did a straight swap for the X-22 Tours and think that my assertion was correct.

 

[Snelly]

Maybe you're just getting old
Time to try the i20s ?

Or worse still, maybe I need to see a club fitter?!

 

[rickg]

The simple solution to this of course is to just buy the fantastic nearly new Callaway X forged 3-PW from Rick with those amazing shafts - Nippon NS Pro 1150 gh tour stiff - for the once in a lifetime never to be repeated special offer of £350

fixed that for you........just think...you could debut them at Blackmoor!!:thup:

 

[thecraw]

I think you've bought some cheap Chinese fakes!

 

[garyinderry]

cold weather setting in. slight lose of distance!

 

[MadAdey]

Had exactly the same with me some years ago. Had a set of TM 300 tour forged with rifle 6.5 in. Got fitted by the TM tour van and they fitted me with 5.5. I did hit it more accurate and generate more spin like they said, but I lost a club of distance also. But rather than worry about it I just took an extra club.

 

[Foxholer]

Or worse still, maybe I need to see a club fitter?!

And you'll probably find out that, after years of hitting them, the Tour Stiffs are pretty much perfect for you.

Starting on the 'interesting but expensive' road to club 'ho-ing'!

Seems to me that re-gripping the X16 Pros is the best plan.