Loft Cranking - I'm all for it!

[Maninblack4612]

Following on from the thread about the Aeroburner irons some people take a very dim view of manufacturers producing a club with the length & loft of a 2 or 3 iron & calling it a 4 iron. The fact is that the lofts are the way they are because of the playability of the clubs. If an average player can get a 19° 4 iron airborne regularly then it's a good idea to produce one. The fact is that if the manufacturer called it a 2 iron, nobody would buy the set because everyone knows an average golfer can't hit a 2 iron.

My own set started off as standard but now my 3 iron has the loft & length of a 2 iron, BUT ​I can get it airborne easily & it goes further than it used to. Who cares what it's called as long as you know how far you hit it.

And my pitching wedge, at 44º probably goes the same height as a standard lofted pitching wedge. I still hit it very high because it, and me, are both high launching implements.

The other point people make is “with the irons going so far you need four wedges”. Well, if that’s the case, Rory will need about 6! The fact is that, however far you hit a wedge, you're always going to need to hit half & three quarter shots. My 44°, 50° & 58° are enough for me. I use the 44° for most short ones even if I can reach with the other two because the lower loft gives me more control.

If the manufacturers can make clubs that go further while still being easy to hit, I’m all for it.

 

[TheCaddie]

Agreed!

 

[SAPCOR1]

Totally agree :thup:

 

[patricks148]

Not true to say no one would by a 2-pw set, I would.

Part of the problem is as customer were are being done out of clubs, not so long ago sets were 3 (21DEG) to PW (48 deg)

 

[Maninblack4612]

Not true to say no one would by a 2-pw set, I would.

OK, not many people, then, and the 2 iron would be 15° & as long as a 3 wood.

 

[patricks148]

OK, not many people, then, and the 2 iron would be 15° & as long as a 3 wood.

So like all the other trickery the 2 iron would in fact be a 1 iron:rofl::rofl:

 

[shewy]

Leaves a bit of a gap at both ends though,need an extra gap wedge and a low lofted hybrid.
saying that when i had the rbz irons i loved the 4 iron just wish my current set did one.

 

[ScienceBoy]

It is a bit confusing and annoying.

End up having to leave the longer ones out as hybrids are better (I certainly can't hit my 4 off the deck consistently compared to a hybrid), need an extra wedge at the bottom too.

Before you know it you have paid for one less club (used to be 3-PW but now 4-PW) with no price difference (adjusted for inflation), you end up leaving the 4 out anyway and buy a hybrid THEN you have to buy another wedge anyway!

Its a dream for the club marketers and retailers but leaves us customers a little hard done by.

I am all for equipment progression but as long as the customer fully understands and is not mislead into spending money (extra clubs) then things would be OK.

 

[duncan mackie]

It is a bit confusing and annoying.

End up having to leave the longer ones out as hybrids are better (I certainly can't hit my 4 off the deck consistently compared to a hybrid), need an extra wedge at the bottom too.

Before you know it you have paid for one less club (used to be 3-PW but now 4-PW) with no price difference (adjusted for inflation), you end up leaving the 4 out anyway and buy a hybrid THEN you have to buy another wedge anyway!

Its a dream for the club marketers and retailers but leaves us customers a little hard done by.

I am all for equipment progression but as long as the customer fully understands and is not mislead into spending money (extra clubs) then things would be OK.

What's confusing - you get the club's you pay for.

It's also nothing to do with lofts either - distributors class that consumers want x-x as a 'set' so that's what the manufacturer produces - if ordering most sets you can get more or less clubs (if I have a beef it's with the manufacturers not offering gap wedges or sand wedges (when they do offer them in the US - same clubs etc) bust even that's not the manufacturers but their local marketing companies.

 

[HomerJSimpson]

It's obvious different manufacturers have different views on loft and some (TM but by no means the only ones) like to produce cranked up clubs. Others don't and the answer is very simple. Find a set you like and can hit consistently and then learn your distances in relation to your own swing. It makes no difference to the score on the card whether you use an 8 or a wedge to get it on the green. It's about how often you hit the ball

 

[Hacker Khan]

It is a bit confusing and annoying.

End up having to leave the longer ones out as hybrids are better (I certainly can't hit my 4 off the deck consistently compared to a hybrid), need an extra wedge at the bottom too.

Before you know it you have paid for one less club (used to be 3-PW but now 4-PW) with no price difference (adjusted for inflation), you end up leaving the 4 out anyway and buy a hybrid THEN you have to buy another wedge anyway!

Its a dream for the club marketers and retailers but leaves us customers a little hard done by.

I am all for equipment progression but as long as the customer fully understands and is not mislead into spending money (extra clubs) then things would be OK.

I think it's only confusing if you have a preset idea of what loft say a 7 iron should be. If not then it should not be confusing as your 7 iron is your 7 iron. The fact that it is the same loft as a 6 iron a few years ago is irrelevant. Also if you don't use the 4 iron then don't buy one, I got a set recently of 5 to SW but I could chose exactly what clubs I wanted as they were priced per club.

 

[Deleted member 15344]

I have no idea what the lofts are of my irons to me Gap wedge

All I know is the distance i hit each iron approx and I have the gaps filled nicely.

I couldn't care less is my PW wqs 48 or 42 degrees

 

[SAPCOR1]

It's obvious different manufacturers have different views on loft and some (TM but by no means the only ones) like to produce cranked up clubs. Others don't and the answer is very simple. Find a set you like and can hit consistently and then learn your distances in relation to your own swing. It makes no difference to the score on the card whether you use an 8 or a wedge to get it on the green. It's about how often you hit the ball

Exactly :thup:

 

[Maninblack4612]

It's obvious different manufacturers have different views on loft and some (TM but by no means the only ones) like to produce cranked up clubs. Others don't and the answer is very simple. Find a set you like and can hit consistently and then learn your distances in relation to your own swing. It makes no difference to the score on the card whether you use an 8 or a wedge to get it on the green. It's about how often you hit the ball

Sometimes gives you an advantage in matchplay when your opponent has a sneaky look in your bag to see what you took or you ostentatiously show him.

 

[User62651]

I have no idea what the lofts are of my irons to me Gap wedge

All I know is the distance i hit each iron approx and I have the gaps filled nicely.

I couldn't care less is my PW wqs 48 or 42 degrees

Would you not want to know if say you have a tree in your line, can you clear it? If you know the loft of club and the distance to target then a quick check on your protractor (pace distance to tree then use a pencil length at arms length and angle from eye, you'll have a predetermined factor of mulitplication) will tell you to take a normal wedge or whether you need to go higher using gap or sand wedge instead but accept you'll end up short - is there a bunker short of green, yes - then take lob wedge to lay up short of there etc etc. Good course management - Know your lofts - Knowledge is power!:thup:

 

[jamielaing]

I don't have the issue that others seem to have with this. So long as the fitter/ shop is honest about it and doesn't just hand you a six iron and say look at how much further that is than yours.

My issue is where does it stop. I have newish irons that are 1 degree strong, I think my PW is 44 degrees. The fitter suggested 2 degrees to keep my flight down but I wanted accuracy not distance and 2 degrees would leave me too much of a gap.

I can see us soon buying irons that are far too strong. I hit a PW around 130. If it gets much stronger then I am going to be using half swings too much. This is the cost for me when manufacturers are changing lofts so the tag line is 10+ yards further than your previous irons.

 

[Region3]

I can see us soon buying irons that are far too strong. I hit a PW around 130. If it gets much stronger then I am going to be using half swings too much. This is the cost for me when manufacturers are changing lofts so the tag line is 10+ yards further than your previous irons.

^ :thup:

I can see why many would, but I don't want irons to go any further than they already do.

 

[Hacker Khan]

I don't have the issue that others seem to have with this. So long as the fitter/ shop is honest about it and doesn't just hand you a six iron and say look at how much further that is than yours.

My issue is where does it stop. I have newish irons that are 1 degree strong, I think my PW is 44 degrees. The fitter suggested 2 degrees to keep my flight down but I wanted accuracy not distance and 2 degrees would leave me too much of a gap.

I can see us soon buying irons that are far too strong. I hit a PW around 130. If it gets much stronger then I am going to be using half swings too much. This is the cost for me when manufacturers are changing lofts so the tag line is 10+ yards further than your previous irons.

Please at this time of year, take a little time to think of those less fortunate than us, those how suffer from the horrible condition of hitting the golf ball too long. It is a nasty indiscriminate disease that can strike at any time. So please dig deep and give what you can for these poor people who for too long have suffered in silence.

 

[jamielaing]

Please at this time of year, take a little time to think of those less fortunate than us, those how suffer from the horrible condition of hitting the golf ball too long. It is a nasty indiscriminate disease that can strike at any time. So please dig deep and give what you can for these poor people who for too long have suffered in silence.

All I am saying is that we will soon be at a point where every 5-10 yard gain is going to become annoying. Previously the technology improved the clubs, now it is adjusting lofts. I'm fine with that but if we continue down this trend you will notice that you are losing out at the other end of the scale. If that's what you want then great but, for me, covering as much of the spectrum is more important.

I will however accept any donations! :whoo:

 

[TheJezster]

Would you not want to know if say you have a tree in your line, can you clear it? If you know the loft of club and the distance to target then a quick check on your protractor (pace distance to tree then use a pencil length at arms length and angle from eye, you'll have a predetermined factor of mulitplication) will tell you to take a normal wedge or whether you need to go higher using gap or sand wedge instead but accept you'll end up short - is there a bunker short of green, yes - then take lob wedge to lay up short of there etc etc. Good course management - Know your lofts - Knowledge is power!:thup:

This is a tip someone told me about a couple of years ago, and it seems to work for me. If you need to go over something, say a tree, which is infront of you, take the club out you wish to hit and place it sole flush on the floor, shaft facing the tree. If you hold it in place with your foot and look at the line from face to grip, if it extends up and beyond the tree, you can hit that club knowing you'll clear it. If the line only goes say 3/4 of the way up the tree, take a different club and do the same again. Obviously you'll have to hit the shot well, but do that and you should clear the tree.

I find this works well for me.