One Length Irons for Beginners?

Sekiro

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A friend has asked if I’ve considered a set of one length irons as a good starting point for a golf beginner, to be honest I had no idea what they were and had to google it. The idea in concept sounds good as it’s learning one swing across all irons which ”should” make life easier and more consistent (there’s also other clubs available in one length). What’s the actual reality of using one length and are they a good idea for someone that’s just starting out?
 

Sats

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Don’t be fooled into thinking its for beginners or for that matter better players, granted the one length can work very nicely for some folk. I thought I’d be in that bracket as I can pretty much rely on my 7 iron all day long and thought I'd make the game easier, as the premise makes sense. Went for a fitting and found that the lower lofted irons went too flat and the higher lofts went into orbit. Even tried the hybrid and that felt like my sons junior driver!!! Couldn’t get on with them. Though I know two people who swear by them.



Honest answer – test them and see if that works.
 
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Backsticks

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Would definitely advise against. The premise seeming to make sense is an illusion. In fact, you need very high club head speed to make the one length thing viable. Even at that, it questiononable at best, whether its a help or a hindrence. Id tend towards the hindrence side. For any non elite player, let alone a beginner, a standard set, where a balance of club length and face loft handles the distance between clubs looks far more sense. And has history behind it.
 

fowlero

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Claude Harmon confessed on sky sports last year that he uses single length irons, must be something in it if one of the most high profile coaches in the game uses them :unsure:
 

IainP

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Claude Harmon confessed on sky sports last year that he uses single length irons, must be something in it if one of the most high profile coaches in the game uses them :unsure:
As you say "high profile", I expect someone in Cobra's marketing department gained a nice bonus for that ??
 

Orikoru

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I don't think you'd want to start with them as a beginner would you? Then it seems like you'd be limited to using one length irons forever, if you'd never hit a normal length PW in your life for example. You've got to be better learning the game with regular clubs and then maybe try the one length down the line if you think you'll benefit then.
 

chrisd

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I tend to disagree with my learned friends. I tried one length clubs and reckon they would be perfect for a beginner. They are easier to learn a good swing with, and, a beginner doesn't have an ingrained set up/swing or feeling that longer or shorter clubs in a range are easier, or harder, to hit - in fact the 4 iron is simply as easy to hit as a wedge given that there is no adjustment to be made for setup or swing.

The biggest issue for me , and the reason I didn't buy them was that i do occasionally change my irons and couldn't help but feel the changes back to varying length irons might be difficult, something a beginner who likes one length will probably not do.
 

Grant85

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A friend has asked if I’ve considered a set of one length irons as a good starting point for a golf beginner, to be honest I had no idea what they were and had to google it. The idea in concept sounds good as it’s learning one swing across all irons which ”should” make life easier and more consistent (there’s also other clubs available in one length). What’s the actual reality of using one length and are they a good idea for someone that’s just starting out?

Confess I haven't tried them, but my feeling is that there is no real benefit to one length or variant length irons if you haven't become accustomed to either.

The main issue people feel who try One Length is feeling like they have a lack of control with the shorter clubs as they are used to using a much shorter club with wedges in approach and around the greens.

I think if it was a silver bullet we'd see far more people at pro and amateur using them - especially with the number of fitters and launch monitors where people can quickly measure any performance benefits.
 

Orikoru

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If you think about it, if there was a benefit to having them all the same length, wouldn't they have always made them that way?? Why make the clubs different lengths if there was no reason to?
 

6535

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I built a set for a friend of mine who plays off 3, has back and neck issues time to time, doesn't have the swing speed you'd expect from low hc player, sweeps the ball more then hits down on it, in the 18mths he's had them hes gone from 3.4 to 1.4 and said that he wouldn't have gotten 1 with normal length irons. Is the concept for everyone, no. But personally, I think it would make the game easier for a beginner as they have no concept of how to play and what to expect. Youd certainly learn quicker imo and it would be the norm if you've never played. The tech behind SLCs are more advanced then what they were at 1st concept 20/30yrs ago, so my advise is try them and see for yourself.
 

Grant85

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I don't think you'd want to start with them as a beginner would you? Then it seems like you'd be limited to using one length irons forever, if you'd never hit a normal length PW in your life for example. You've got to be better learning the game with regular clubs and then maybe try the one length down the line if you think you'll benefit then.

I don't really get this logic. If you've never hit a normal length PW but learn to his One Length clubs, then why does it matter?

Learning with variant length clubs with a view to switching to One Length would make even less sense.

Would definitely advise against. The premise seeming to make sense is an illusion. In fact, you need very high club head speed to make the one length thing viable. Even at that, it questiononable at best, whether its a help or a hindrence. Id tend towards the hindrence side. For any non elite player, let alone a beginner, a standard set, where a balance of club length and face loft handles the distance between clubs looks far more sense. And has history behind it.

I'm not sure why that would be the case? A 5 iron is going to be an inch shorter than a normal 5 iron - and a few degrees stronger in the One Length. If you don't have the club speed for it, then switch to a chunkier head or even hybrid, as you would in a normal set. And what you might lose in speed, you'll pick up in hitting the sweet spot more with a shorter club.

For someone who has already learned to play, it is going to be a tough transition to make, but for beginners, it will probably help to get up to a playable level sooner.

Obviously it's a compromise and I think in the main, it does benefit the middle of the bag, compared with the 9i & PW - but to me it makes a lot of sense.
 

Orikoru

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I don't really get this logic. If you've never hit a normal length PW but learn to his One Length clubs, then why does it matter?

Learning with variant length clubs with a view to switching to One Length would make even less sense.
Because hardly any manufacturers make them, so if you want to change clubs down the line you're either stuck with Cobra, or you have to relearn the game?
 

Grant85

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If you think about it, if there was a benefit to having them all the same length, wouldn't they have always made them that way?? Why make the clubs different lengths if there was no reason to?

The reason for this is because golfers and club makers realised you need more club head speed to 'launch' the longer irons.

Remember when the current model of 1 iron through to PW became a 'set', people were using pretty basic, small headed clubs and far less aerodynamic balls. There was no perimeter weighting or cavity backs. Shafts were also shorter and the golf swing was very much a tempo idea, rather than a speed idea.
 

Grant85

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Because hardly any manufacturers make them, so if you want to change clubs down the line you're either stuck with Cobra, or you have to relearn the game?

Accept that lack of availablity, especially in second hand market is a barrier.

Edel also make single length.

And if more people start using them - no doubt more companies will come up with similarly thought out clubs. But if you do get a set of One Length irons, they'll last you a decade or so. Hardly going to be an every day problem.
 

6535

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3 manufacturers make SLCs Cobra, Edel, and Wishon who, were the first to bring out single length irons (modern era) and took 2yrs to develop by Tom Wishon. They apart from Cobra are not major brands but if it helps to make golf easier then surely it can't be that bad of a thing.
 

pauljames87

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If you think about it, if there was a benefit to having them all the same length, wouldn't they have always made them that way?? Why make the clubs different lengths if there was no reason to?

The reason is "traditions" or "how it's always been" players have always been taught how to swing a certain way.. coaches try to get people hitting swing "on plane" etc and always how it's been

Now we have modern methods with video and launch monitors

You will see more swings like bryson and wolf coming through as younger players are taught different methods

One length will come into play as an option. It's smaller market share now but they have been around what 4 years by cobra and still going strong

Just because something always was one way doesn't make it right and just because something is new doesn't mean it's right either

Clubs and swing will suit different players

My mate has got down to 14 using one lengths after years of playing and now is very consistent with his distance
 

Orikoru

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The reason is "traditions" or "how it's always been" players have always been taught how to swing a certain way.. coaches try to get people hitting swing "on plane" etc and always how it's been

Now we have modern methods with video and launch monitors

You will see more swings like bryson and wolf coming through as younger players are taught different methods

One length will come into play as an option. It's smaller market share now but they have been around what 4 years by cobra and still going strong

Just because something always was one way doesn't make it right and just because something is new doesn't mean it's right either

Clubs and swing will suit different players

My mate has got down to 14 using one lengths after years of playing and now is very consistent with his distance
What I meant was, logically speaking if you were inventing golf clubs you would instinctively keep them the same length because it would be easier - so there must have been a reason they didn't do that. I was just thinking aloud though. :LOL:
 

incatrekker

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Surely the alternative logic, which is where the game started, is that for longer shots you need more leverage and for shorter shots less. That naturally equates to longer/shorter shafts?
 

Myblueheaven

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Love my one length Cobra SZ 5 - pw, gw, sw & 19°hybrid.
I'm a high handicapper, pretty new to the game.
I feel they are easier for me to hit than standard length clubs.
For me it is about what suits me, what I like the look of and what I want to use.
I don't care what other people think, if I like them so what.
Try them, if you like them buy some, if you don't like them sell them.
 
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