Retro-fitting irons

[RichA]

Anyone had older irons retro-fitted?
If so, was it successful and worthwhile?

I had a fitting for my 20-year old Mizuno irons and in addition to getting the lie angles adjusted and lofts checked, I'm considering having new, lighter graphite shafts installed.
The new shafts felt great in the test iron that was the closest modern equivalent to mine. I really like the old irons and it's less expensive than a new set, but it's not cheap.
Slightly concerned I might be entering a Trigger's broom scenario.

 

[jim8flog]

I do my own club building due to the cost from a pro of changing shafts.

Personally I would say if you currently are playing steel shaft get one club fitted first before going to graphite

Modern lightweight steel shafts are every bit as good as graphite.

Aspects to consider

If your older Mizuno clubs are forged and some others they probably have .355 taper fit hosels/shafts, graphite shafts are normally .370 the heads will have to be bored out to .370 which is easy enough with a forged club.

that may help with-

The heads will be weighted for a steel shaft and may be too heavy for a graphite shaft (same problem if changing from a heavy steel shaft to a lightweight one).

The weighting problem can be overcome by extra weighting in the butt end of the shaft sometimes achieved by speficic butt weights and some times with lead tape but the lead tape method will add size to the butt and most graphite shafts are .600 butt. If you use standar grips this will be like going to mid size or jumbo.

 

[Voyager EMH]

My Maxfli Australian Blades have that thick-at-the-top feel even though they are standard size. This felt strange when I first played with them, but I soon got used to it.
When I play with them now, I actually feel quite comfortable with the pinkie and ring finger not having to bend as much to grip the club.
Don't know what is under there - it is how they came.

 

[jim8flog]

My Maxfli Australian Blades have that thick-at-the-top feel even though they are standard size. This felt strange when I first played with them, but I soon got used to it.
When I play with them now, I actually feel quite comfortable with the pinkie and ring finger not having to bend as much to grip the club.
Don't know what is under there - it is how they came.

View attachment 44426

They look to me like there is more than one layer of tape. Hard to tell really just from a photo.

 

[RichA]

My Maxfli Australian Blades have that thick-at-the-top feel even though they are standard size. This felt strange when I first played with them, but I soon got used to it.
When I play with them now, I actually feel quite comfortable with the pinkie and ring finger not having to bend as much to grip the club.
Don't know what is under there - it is how they came.

View attachment 44426

View attachment 44427

My 80s "original" Mizuno Pro irons have those same older Lamkin Crossline grips with the gold lettering. As you describe, they are also fatter around the butt end (?) than the modern equivalent I have on other clubs. Must just have been how they used to make them.

 

[sunshine]

If your older Mizuno clubs are forged and some others they probably have .355 taper fit hosels/shafts, graphite shafts are normally .370 the heads will have to be bored out to .370 which is easy enough with a forged club.

The weighting problem can be overcome by extra weighting in the butt end of the shaft sometimes achieved by speficic butt weights and some times with lead tape but the lead tape method will add size to the butt and most graphite shafts are .600 butt. If you use standar grips this will be like going to mid size or jumbo.

So you are saying you need to have a bigger butt to accommodate an extra thick shaft. But you can prepare for this by inserting weighted plugs into the butt.

Have we gone off topic? ??

 

[Oddsocks]

So you are saying you need to have a bigger butt to accommodate an extra thick shaft. But you can prepare for this by inserting weighted plugs into the butt.

Have we gone off topic? ??

Absolute belter!!! ????