Irons - more loft = more length

[Maninblack4612]

Being over 70 now I struggle for clubhead speed. I can get 90 mph with the driver, just, no more. At the range there's a green, the front of which I can just reach in calm conditions with a 6 iron. A while ago I lengthened my irons by between 1" & ¼" & had the lofts straightened by 2°. The extra length softens the shafts a bit & gives a little more clubhead speed. The loft reductions were meant to provide a bit more length.

I took a 6 iron to the range the other day & found that it was flying higher than the 5 iron, but exactly the same distance. It appeared that the lack of clubhead speed & low flight was losing me distance. I have now had the lofts restored to where they were & the 5 iron is now going a good 10 yards further than the 6, and they are easier to hit too.

I was aware that you can lose distance by setting the driver loft too low & I'm now wondering if I shouldn't go further & get all the iron lofts increased. It would certainly make the 4 iron easier to hit & there would probably be little loss of distance.

Has anyone else had this experience?

 

[the_coach]

as it's all governed by math & physics there will be a limit to changing loft up or down to gain any benefit from that

in truth lower irons require a bunch of speed to function optimally - lower speed has the group of low irons 3/4/5/ tending to get to a point where they all carry the same distance - as to why you see a bunch of hybrids in both senior tour & lpga bags

& why it's key to get fitted by someone who knows exactly what they are doing

to be real honest the likelihood is would get more optimum distance out of looking both at the flex & weight (so graphite or super lightweight steel composites) of the iron shafts & the bend profiles while having a length that still can provide optimum control for accuracy - plus switching the low irons out for hybrids

one thing that kills distance is spin rate key to optimum spin rate is the angle of attack & importantly the dynamic loft presented at impact which gives you the spin loft

it's spin loft that is key to the amount of 'compression' you can put on the ball so optimum 'solid strike' which gives the LA & spin rate to give you the most distance for your swing speed & center strike

in many ways the spin loft number is a bunch more important than the SF number folks tend to focus on
as 'compression of strike' is not determined by the smash factor number (smash factor only shows the ratio of the club head speed & subsequent ball speed at impact)

 

[Capella]

Definitely true for my game as well. I can hit my 6 iron about 100 m. My 5 iron comes out a bit lower still and might get a tad more roll (which is sometimes what I want), but it does not give me more carry distance. I also have a 4 iron, but normally don't even have that in my bag, because I just don't have the club head speed to get the ball carrying far enough. Love my hybrids, though.

And I play Cobra woods, and they normally produce a higher lofted ladie's version for exactly that reason. So my 3-wood has 18° of loft, my 7-wood has 22°. It helps to get the ball airborne. A good image that somebody gave me to explain this is: imagine you are watering your garden with a hose. Now the water pressure drops and you still want the water to go the same distance. You'd point the hose up to make up for that drop in speed, while if the water pressure gets higher you'd aim lower.

 

[Orikoru]

Being over 70 now I struggle for clubhead speed. I can get 90 mph with the driver, just, no more. At the range there's a green, the front of which I can just reach in calm conditions with a 6 iron. A while ago I lengthened my irons by between 1" & ¼" & had the lofts straightened by 2°. The extra length softens the shafts a bit & gives a little more clubhead speed. The loft reductions were meant to provide a bit more length.

I took a 6 iron to the range the other day & found that it was flying higher than the 5 iron, but exactly the same distance. It appeared that the lack of clubhead speed & low flight was losing me distance. I have now had the lofts restored to where they were & the 5 iron is now going a good 10 yards further than the 6, and they are easier to hit too.

I was aware that you can lose distance by setting the driver loft too low & I'm now wondering if I shouldn't go further & get all the iron lofts increased. It would certainly make the 4 iron easier to hit & there would probably be little loss of distance.

Has anyone else had this experience?

That's pretty quick for 70 isn't it?? I got measured at around 85-86mph on a fitting and I'm 30!

 

[Tashyboy]

That's pretty quick for 70 isn't it?? I got measured at around 85-86mph on a fitting and I'm 30!

I played with MIB last year and he was through the back of a green on a par five in two. He has the uncanny ability to hit it sweet even at 70. Also possessed like most of us to get better, hence why he is playing with lofts.

Dont be using lofts as an excuse next month Bill😁

 

[cliveb]

A good image that somebody gave me to explain this is: imagine you are watering your garden with a hose. Now the water pressure drops and you still want the water to go the same distance. You'd point the hose up to make up for that drop in speed, while if the water pressure gets higher you'd aim lower.

Actually from a physics POV that isn't a good analogy. The force pushing the water out of a hosepipe is acting in the same direction as the nozzle. This is basic ballistics and a 45* launch angle will give you the maximum distance.

But in a golf swing, the force of the club head striking the ball is (near enough) horizontal. The loft of the club diverts some *but not all* of this force perpendicular to the plane of the club head. And as the loft increases, the proportion of the force that acts perpendicular to the club head decreases.

 

[YamiKuriboh]

Definitely true for my game as well. I can hit my 6 iron about 100 m..

Are you sure? 100m is only 109 yards
I'm not a big hitter at all but my 9iron goes about that far.

 

[jim8flog]

Lengthening a shaft at the butt end does not change it's flex.

It is the distance from the hosel to the first taper that decides shaft flex.

It is just simply the longer shaft length that is giving increased distance. Fine if you still control the club.

Watch out the extra length may change the lie angle.

 

[Capella]

Are you sure? 100m is only 109 yards
I'm not a big hitter at all but my 9iron goes about that far.

Welcome to the wonderful world of the middle aged female golfer :swing:That's why they build those red tees for us. I know there are women who hit it a lot further than this, but for my demographic, I am actually doing alright.

 

[Tashyboy]

Welcome to the wonderful world of the middle aged female golfer :swing:That's why they build those red tees for us. I know there are women who hit it a lot further than this, but for my demographic, I am actually doing alright.

one of the reasons i mentioned about MIB having an ability to hit the ball sweetly is because well for one of our senior citizens he hits it exceptionally well.
At the other end of the spectrum is Dewsweeper i think it is. He is also as passionate about his game. Infact him and MIB would get on like a house on fire on the course. But unfortunately DS has a body that has more than its fair share of arthritis caused through many years of graft. He like youself struggles to get the distance he once could or now desires. In fact during a round with Dewsweeper it emphasised my belief that fairways ahould have a max 100 yd distance from the tee. It is soul destroying seeing someone hit it as far as they can, as good as they can straight down the middle, yet being still being in the naughty stuff.

 

[Face breaker]

one of the reasons i mentioned about MIB having an ability to hit the ball sweetly is because well for one of our senior citizens he hits it exceptionally well.
At the other end of the spectrum is Dewsweeper i think it is. He is also as passionate about his game. Infact him and MIB would get on like a house on fire on the course. But unfortunately DS has a body that has more than its fair share of arthritis caused through many years of graft. He like youself struggles to get the distance he once could or now desires. In fact during a round with Dewsweeper it emphasised my belief that fairways ahould have a max 100 yd distance from the tee. It is soul destroying seeing someone hit it as far as they can, as good as they can straight down the middle, yet being still being in the naughty stuff.

Couldn't agree with you more, I'm a green keeper by trade and see this quite a lot, the majority of our members are of a more senior persuasion and most will have been 'working men' during their working lives due to the area we live in (South Devon) and therefore more prone to wearing out quicker than yer average 'city dwelling' office jockey !...