The benefit of 10 extra yards?

[FairwayDodger]

Probably an impossible question to answer but it'd be interesting to hear people's thoughts on this.

Bear with me!

I use 15ish years old, off the shelf, men's steel-shafted irons. A trackman session confirmed what I knew anecdotally from playing - that I don't hit them particularly far.

A few hits with 7 and 6 irons with more flexible graphite shafts revealed an extra carry of 10-15 yards. Consequently I'm going to get properly fitted and expect to see a similar benefit when I get my new clubs.

So, I currently play off 7. Hit driver and fairway woods well and relatively far (for a girl), irons straight and solidly although not as far as others around my level. Always room for improvement, but short game and putting isn't bad. i.e. I've got a decent all round game with no single stand out aspect that needs improving but also no aspect that couldn't be improved...

I'm starting to believe that cat 1 is a realistic target for me and I've convinced myself that this extra carry with the new irons is going to make a real difference to my game.

If you've managed to read this far..... what do you think - how significant will an extra 10ish yards carry with each iron make to the game of a semi-decent player?

 

[bobmac]

It seems I answered your question before you asked it

 

[louise_a]

I think about this myself, the question in my mind is, would an extra few yards mean I would be able to hit more greens in regulation, providing of course I hit the shots well.

I guess you could ask yourself the same question.

 

[FairwayDodger]

It seems I answered your question before you asked it

Just call for Mystic Bob!

You gave me the wrong answer though. You were supposed to say "Yes, FD, these new irons will get you to cat 1 by the end of the season"!

:fore:

 

[bobmac]

If cash is burning a hole in your pocket, don't buy anything until you've tried the Ping i20s with a soft reg shaft first.
If they dont suit, I'd plump for a mizuno of some sort

emmm
which I promise will get you down to cat 1 this year :thup:

 

[palindromicbob]

How many times have you found your shortgame being tested because you came up just short with your longest iron.

 

[JustOne]

It's hard to measure but should help as you'll be able to take less club and subsequently have less 'side spin', thereby making you more accurate... potentially

Length isn't everything (apparently) but if you have enough of it you should find the game easier... striving only for length over accuracy isn't really progress though.

 

[FairwayDodger]

If cash is burning a hole in your pocket, don't buy anything until you've tried the Ping i20s with a soft reg shaft first.
If they dont suit, I'd plump for a mizuno of some sort

emmm
which I promise will get you down to cat 1 this year :thup:

Love it!

Will try to get a hit with some of those. Have been sold on the custom fitting concept though....

 

[FairwayDodger]

Thanks guys, it's not really length that's the issue but accuracy; all the greens at my course are well within range for me. The shorter the iron the more accurate I am, unsurprisingly, so my theory is that using a shorter iron on my approach shots should lead to less missed greens and more/better birdie opportunities!

 

[palindromicbob]

Thanks guys, it's not really length that's the issue but accuracy; all the greens at my course are well within range for me. The shorter the iron the more accurate I am, unsurprisingly, so my theory is that using a shorter iron on my approach shots should lead to less missed greens and more/better birdie opportunities!

Sound thinking to me

 

[Liverbirdie]

Ive lost 10 yards since having lessons (it was 20 yards at first but managed to shorten it since) but I have greatly improved with my driver and I'm generally straighter.

I may be getting the rocketballz 3 wood and 2 hybrids to try to improve my distance at the top end of my bag, but will now happily take an 8 iron, whereas I used to take a 9 iron.

However, greater distance does give you more options at the end of the day such as hitting more par 5's in one, being able to carry easier on long (say 200 yard) par 3's.

I have finally learnt that accuracy is the most important, but extra length wont do any harm.

Good luck.

 

[RGDave]

If you've managed to read this far..... what do you think - how significant will an extra 10ish yards carry with each iron make to the game of a semi-decent player?

Hmm.

If I was semi-decent, I'd probably not be too interested.

In fact, I'm not too interested anyway, as I turned down some Ping G15s just a few days ago, and these were giving me at least 10 yards, maybe more in the short irons.

Bottom line was, the short ones were massive and the long ones were almost the same (sadly all too common with low S/S players).

I didn't want a wedge that went 130. No thanks.

 

[Region3]

Normally when someone gains distance from say a swing change then it's across all clubs, and 20yds more off the tee coupled with one club less into greens makes 3 clubs difference, and I think that does make a big difference to scores. 1 club imo won't make a big difference.

Having said that it won't do any harm, so I'd say if you find a set with the shafts you need that you hit further AND are at least as good dispersion-wise then I'd say go for it.

 

[FairwayDodger]

Of course in trying to frame the question I have over simplified.

Another issue from the trackman was that my carry yardages with 7, 6 and 5 irons are all within just a few yards of each other. Diff ball flight so roll out to diff distances.

Basically the shafts in my irons are all wrong for my swing speed. I'm expecting to be generally carrying further but also with a sensible progression between irons.

Will be interesting getting fitted. I'd just played 18 holes when I went on the trackman before and was a bit tired. Intend to be fresh for it next week.

 

[USER1999]

Is the extra yardage due to insane modern lofts?

 

[FairwayDodger]

Is the extra yardage due to insane modern lofts?

Couldn't say for sure... didn't perceive any great difference but didn't check.

 

[Scouser]

However, greater distance does give you more options at the end of the day such as hitting more par 5's in one,

You aint that long :fore:

 

[RGDave]

Is the extra yardage due to insane modern lofts?

Well, it is in my case. not to mention the graphite in the Pings I tried.

 

[HomerJSimpson]

I think the answer is get somewhere with a monitor and try as many as you can in as many shafts as you can. Ideally if you hit on a range linked to a monitor and see the ball flight too so much the better. It does sound as though the question was answred before you got to the end of the first paragraph so enjoy the thrill of the search and reap the rewards when you get them

 

[Liverbirdie]

You aint that long :fore:

Well spotted, should have been two.