Ping I15 stiff steel shaft change to equivalent to utility club Aldila 65.

[Dereedwa]

Hi I am looking for some advice please. I am restarting my interest in golf after a number of years. I have ping I15 irons up to 5 iron and then utility clubs 5 through to 2 which have Aldila 65 shafts. I have noticed a big difference in weight, the utility clubs being much lighter and easier to swing.
Now in my mid fifties swing speed is ok but every little helps.
7 iron 83mph, No2 utility 93 mph approx. Not sure about driver possibly around 100/105?
For better consistency I am just wondering about changing my irons or steel shafts to something equivalent to my utility clubs so everything is the nearly the same.
Does anyone know if this is even possible without losing the performance of my irons.
My 7 iron average carries between about 165/175 , 83mph ish, smash around 1.44.
AWT STEEL replacement to Aldila 65 equivalent.
Thanks.

 

[jim8flog]

If you are hitting your irons that sort of distance and with that swing speed I would question why you would want to change

It is not just simple case of changing the shaft from steel to graphite.

Graphite shafts for irons are around 65-80 grammes (uncut weight).

If you have the AWT shaft in it means ascending weight tech and the weight of the shaft will get heavier as you shorten the club but it will still be 20+ grammes heavier than graphite at minimum.

This will give all sorts of swing weight problems

Then there is the cost to factor in, if you do not have the kit to check swing weight I would imagine it would be in XS of £40 a club


Personally I would look to buy irons with the shaft you want already fitted and if then does not work out you can simply resell them.

 

[Dereedwa]

Thanks Jim for taking the time to explain things and for advising.
I am trying to increase my consistency when alternating between hitting hybrids and irons.
I am thinking if clubs weights are all very similar throughout the bag then this would help considerably especially when I can feel the difference.
I will check out a new set of irons with lighter graphite shafts as you suggest.
Can you by any chance recommend anything which is comparable to the Ping I15 performance and with very similar or the same shaft performance as the Aldila 65 shafts which are in my hybrids.
I got to a decent level in my twenties 5 hcap. Now in my mid fifties giving it another go.
I haven’t played a lot, 3 games in 3 years and looking to increase in the next few but I do practice a lot in my garage with irons/hybrids approx 5 to 10 hrs a week.
Height restriction doesn’t allow any woods.
This will change slightly to include more driving range visits, the garage is great for perfecting things but it’s not great when you can’t see the results, the swing monitor only tells you so much.
Thanks again cheers Derek

 

[Jason.H]

Thanks Jim for taking the time to explain things and for advising.
I am trying to increase my consistency when alternating between hitting hybrids and irons.
I am thinking if clubs weights are all very similar throughout the bag then this would help considerably especially when I can feel the difference.
I will check out a new set of irons with lighter graphite shafts as you suggest.
Can you by any chance recommend anything which is comparable to the Ping I15 performance and with very similar or the same shaft performance as the Aldila 65 shafts which are in my hybrids.
I got to a decent level in my twenties 5 hcap. Now in my mid fifties giving it another go.
I haven’t played a lot, 3 games in 3 years and looking to increase in the next few but I do practice a lot in my garage with irons/hybrids approx 5 to 10 hrs a week.
Height restriction doesn’t allow any woods.
This will change slightly to include more driving range visits, the garage is great for perfecting things but it’s not great when you can’t see the results, the swing monitor only tells you so much.
Thanks again cheers Derek

If I were you I’d go to a nearby course that has a pro shop and range. Pro shops will have demo irons with different shaft options , they should let you trial it on the range albeit just a 7 iron. You can find a shaft that feels good for you. Do this rather than buying a set that may not suit. It wont cost anything to use demo irons.
How far you carry the ball a steel shaft which there are many lighter options these days will probably be better than graphite.

 

[Imurg]

A general rule when changing from steel to graphite shafts is to drop no more than 20g in weight.
Initially I dropped from 120 to 85 and it threw my timing out.
I have Recoil 95g shafts in 718 AP2s now and they feel as good as anything I've ever used.
Distances have probably increased a bit and the consistency is back.
Utility irons will, probably, have a different construction to i15s....they may be hollow to match with lighter shafts.
Definitely worth trying before you buy.

 

[Dereedwa]

If I were you I’d go to a nearby course that has a pro shop and range. Pro shops will have demo irons with different shaft options , they should let you trial it on the range albeit just a 7 iron. You can find a shaft that feels good for you. Do this rather than buying a set that may not suit. It wont cost anything to use demo irons.
How far you carry the ball a steel shaft which there are many lighter options these days will probably be better than graphite.

That’s great thanks for all the advice very much appreciated.
All the best
Cheers Derek

 

[Dereedwa]

A general rule when changing from steel to graphite shafts is to drop no more than 20g in weight.
Initially I dropped from 120 to 85 and it threw my timing out.
I have Recoil 95g shafts in 718 AP2s now and they feel as good as anything I've ever used.
Distances have probably increased a bit and the consistency is back.
Utility irons will, probably, have a different construction to i15s....they may be hollow to match with lighter shafts.
Definitely worth trying before you buy.

That’s great thanks for the information, I will look into them. Much appreciated.
All the best
Cheers Derek

 

[jim8flog]

I am thinking if clubs weights are all very similar throughout the bag then this would help considerably especially when I can feel the difference.

Irons in a set do not have the same weight they have the same swing weight which is a totally different thing, but does relate to how they feel when you swing them.

Rather than looking at graphite you may want to look at lightweight steel shafts but as I said already if you are hitting those distances with that swing speed I would question why the change.

One aspect you have to consider is the lofts on the I15 e.g the 7 iron is 33 deg whereas with many modern sets the 7 iron may well be less 30 degrees .

 

[Dereedwa]

Thanks Jim I will certainly give that a go and compare, I didn’t know that was an option tbh.
The lofts on these new irons certainly creates a talking point.
Really the new 7 is an old 6.
Thanks for all your help and advice explaining things, very interesting and certainly something to think about going forward.
Cheers Derek