Loft doesn't necessarily dictate the number on an iron

[harpo_72]

My mate just had a chart affixed to the top of his trolley.

Yup I did this, the wife got a laminator - I love that machine I laminated everything I could ( not a double entendres!)

I usually have total yardage - yes wet or dry does impact these as does wind. However I adapt for the conditions, it may take a hole or two but you get a feel for what your getting.
I also have 3/4 and 1/2 swing distances on my sw-to -7 iron ..

 

[stymied]

Exactly what I do.
I know how far I hit a 30° iron. I know how far I hit a 50° iron.
I select the iron for the shot I am about to play based on how far that I know I hit each club.
Not bothered about the number on the club, merely how far I know I hit it.

I thought I'd come here and say the Hogans had it right when they put the loft of the iron on the head instead of a number. That said isn't part of the new tech that the clubs are launching higher for the same loft and go a bit further for the given loft?

 

[Golf is fun]

The conversations around this always puzzle me.

I have a set of clubs, on a given day each club goes a known distance when hit a certain way with some variation because I'm not a pro. All I need is some way to identify each club and a simple numbering system does the job, although it could just as easily be letters, hieroglyphics, or anything else. When hitting any given shot I don't really think or care much about the loft, I don't really think or care much what club I'd need if using another set, and I don't really think or care much what club anyone else uses for the same shot.

If you've got a set that covers a max range of X down to a shortest range of Y, with trajectories you like, whatever is written on the club shouldn't really matter, unless you let your ego make it matter.

 

[Voyager EMH]

I thought I'd come here and say the Hogans had it right when they put the loft of the iron on the head instead of a number. That said isn't part of the new tech that the clubs are launching higher for the same loft and go a bit further for the given loft?

My 2007 Ping i10 9-iron is 42° and my 2025 Ping i530 PW is 42°.
Guess what I find in playing practice? No noticeable difference.

My Ping 1986 Eye2 BeCu 5-iron is 28° and my Ping i530 7-iron is 29°.
The 28° goes further. Just a bit.
40 years - little or no difference.

If I go right back to my 1977 Maxfli International irons, I find that I am using the same lofted i530 iron from the same places on the course that I was playing 50 years ago.

What I find can make a noticeable difference is getting the most suitable shafts in one's irons. This aids consistency.
Same goes for the new heads. Consistency is better.
Getting suitable heads and shafts might show you an increase in performance from clubs you were playing in previous years.
But the lofts are the same as they ever were - unchanging over 50 years.

I have sets of irons that are all very similar with regards to lofts, but the numbers vary greatly over the decades.
1977 I had 2-SW. Only 2 wedges.
Now I have 4-SW, but with 4 wedges.
The lofts are very similar through the sets.

 

[harpo_72]

My 2007 Ping i10 9-iron is 42° and my 2025 Ping i530 PW is 42°.
Guess what I find in playing practice? No noticeable difference.

My Ping 1986 Eye2 BeCu 5-iron is 28° and my Ping i530 7-iron is 29°.
The 28° goes further. Just a bit.
40 years - little or no difference.

If I go right back to my 1977 Maxfli International irons, I find that I am using the same lofted i530 iron from the same places on the course that I was playing 50 years ago.

What I find can make a noticeable difference is getting the most suitable shafts in one's irons. This aids consistency.
Same goes for the new heads. Consistency is better.
Getting suitable heads and shafts might show you an increase in performance from clubs you were playing in previous years.
But the lofts are the same as they ever were - unchanging over 50 years.

I have sets of irons that are all very similar with regards to lofts, but the numbers vary greatly over the decades.
1977 I had 2-SW. Only 2 wedges.
Now I have 4-SW, but with 4 wedges.
The lofts are very similar through the sets.

I have found this to be correct, the loft is the key you can vary distance with shaft length but from experience 1/2” will not do more than 2 yards ..
Critical distance variation comes from the club face and where you strike it .. some forgiving irons when occasionally centred rocket off, but I think the OEMs are getting their heads round this.

I don’t really care about what other people are hitting.. the real proof is their driver distance, if it’s further than you they are longer and vice versa.. but all that matters is your in the fairway and have a good look at the next shot

 

[Klimski]

I bought a lightly used hybrid of G4C and it has a bit of white tape on the shaft saying '180 yards' - which is a bit depressing, as it is my 155 yard carry club