Traditionalists, prepare to be grumpy

[PhilTheFragger]

I would be far better if every manufacturer had to stick to a set loft/loft range for a specific club ie PW has to be between 45-47 degrees

At the moment it is difficult for the "normal" golfer to compare different ranges

a 7 iron should be a 7 iron, not cranked up to a 5

 

[delc]

I know Del, we've been there a number of times before, but it only matters that you have clubs you like and you know how far each one hits

But if the gapping gives you too much distance differences between clubs, that is a problem. We have a par-3 hole where my 8-iron tends to come up short, but the 7-iron flies straight off the back of the back of the green! I am seriously considering going back to using an old set of Ping irons with more traditional lofts just to get better gapping.

Jacked down lofts are a con. If we stop buying such clubs, then perhaps manufacturers will take the hint. I really think there should be an industry standard for iron numbers and lofts, then you could compare like with like!

 

[Slab]

The traditional 4 degree spacing between clubs gave you about 10 -12 yards difference in distance. With my current set of jacked down TM irons, I have some 20 yard gaps between the short irons, whereas the longer irons, 4-6 all go about the same distance for me. What is the point of that?

Do you mean you've had the loft/s adjusted on your set and now have too big a distance gap?

The spec chart doesn't suggest a big gap anywhere (I guess you might be over performing on one club over another)

 

[delc]

Do you mean you've had the loft/s adjusted on your set and now have too big a distance gap?

The spec chart doesn't suggest a big gap anywhere (I guess you might be over performing on one club over another)

View attachment 18427

The 7 iron also has a hot face, which the 8 iron doesn't.

 

[Deleted member 15344]

The 7 iron also has a hot face, which the 8 iron doesn't.

Hot face ?!

Does it really matter what the number is at the bottom - all the matters is the loft and how far you hit it and no one is forcing you to buy the set with lofts a bit higher

 

[Slab]

The 7 iron also has a hot face, which the 8 iron doesn't.

No idea what a hot face is but you'd want to believe a company like TM would factor that feature in when setting the gaping between the 7&8

 

[Dando]

just checked the iron timeline on the Mizuno website and although they do not have the numbers for my TP Originals, the TP-11's which are pretty similar have the following lofts;

1 - 17
3 - 22
4 - 26
5 - 29.5
6 - 33
7 - 37
8 - 41
9 - 45
PW - 49

 

[Foxholer]

I would be far better if every manufacturer had to stick to a set loft/loft range for a specific club ie PW has to be between 45-47 degrees

At the moment it is difficult for the "normal" golfer to compare different ranges

a 7 iron should be a 7 iron, not cranked up to a 5

It is!

The only 'standard' is that a 7i head is 270/271 grams with 7 gram gaps!

Unless you can get them to agree that all the other attributes are standardised too, then it's pointless! Then they'll start using different materials - like Callaway did quite successfully with Hawkeyes a while ago!

We all (should) know it's a 'con' so just adjust your reference point!

 

[delc]

Hot face ?!

Does it really matter what the number is at the bottom - all the matters is the loft and how far you hit it and no one is forcing you to buy the set with lofts a bit higher

It's getting very difficult to buy irons that don't have jacked down lofts these days, because all the manufactures are in a space race to make their demo 7 irons go further than anybody else's. Oddly enough, beginner's clubs and good player blades have more sensible lofts.

 

[Deleted member 15344]

It's getting very difficult to buy irons that don't have jacked down lofts these days, because all the manufactures are in a space race to make their demo 7 irons go further than anybody else's. Oddly enough, beginner's clubs and good player blades have more sensible lofts.

And ? What difference does it make - as long as you know how far each club goes then what's the problem ?

 

[Sats]

Wedges seem to have a uniform range in the degrees PW 45-48 / GW 49-53 / SW 54-57 / LW 58-64

Why irons be done in lofts instead of numbers then I don't think there would be any arguments.

 

[delc]

And ? What difference does it make - as long as you know how far each club goes then what's the problem ?

SW 56 degrees, PW 44 degrees, 9 iron 39 degrees! Do I need to go on? The gaps between short irons have been opened out and long irons compressed together. How do this help you actually play golf?

 

[Deleted member 15344]

SW 56 degrees, PW 44 degrees, 9 iron 39 degrees! Do I need to go on? The gaps between short irons have been opened out and long irons compressed together. How do this help you actually play golf?

Still not seeing the problem. - just hit the ball the distance you think the club will go - walk after it and then hit it again - repeat until it's in the hole. Simple

 

[delc]

Still not seeing the problem. - just hit the ball the distance you think the club will go - walk after it and then hit it again - repeat until it's in the hole. Simple

There is often a 12 degree difference between a SW and a PW these days, which is about a 40 yard difference in distance for me. So what are you supposed to do in between, apart from buying a couple of gap wedges? In the past a SW was still about 56 degrees, because you need that for getting out of bunkers, but PW's were 50 degrees, so no need for gap wedges. You could play every shot with a standard set of clubs!

 

[Deleted member 15344]

There is a 12 degree difference between a SW and a PW, which is about a 40 yard difference in distance for me. So what are you supposed to do in between, apart from buying a couple of gap wedges? In the past a SW was still about 56 degrees, because you need that for getting out of bunkers, but PW's were 50 degrees, so no need for gap wedges. You could play every shot with a standard set of clubs!

What do you do when your inbetween clubs normally anyway ? It's called using your imagination and hitting either one club a bit harder or punching one or three quarter swing and so on

I have no idea when PW were 50 degree but they have always been 44-46 ish since j have been playing golf and wedge are in loft so you can get whatever loft you desire and can use any loft for your SW - gap wedges have been around for years

You can still play every shot with a standard set of irons - the number of the bottom has zero relevance.

You don't appear to have a problem with that other "modern" addition - the Hybrid.

 

[fundy]

Or just buy from a manufacturer out there who doesnt jack the lofts, they do exist! My PW is 48 degrees with 4 degree gaps downwards, I then have 3 wedges at 4 degree gaps above. Works for me and means I have pretty consistent gaps throughout the whole set

 

[delc]

What do you do when your inbetween clubs normally anyway ? It's called using your imagination and hitting either one club a bit harder or punching one or three quarter swing and so on

I have no idea when PW were 50 degree but they have always been 44-46 ish since j have been playing golf and wedge are in loft so you can get whatever loft you desire and can use any loft for your SW - gap wedges have been around for years

You can still play every shot with a standard set of irons - the number of the bottom has zero relevance.

You don't appear to have a problem with that other "modern" addition - the Hybrid.

The hybrid and perhaps adjustable drivers are IMHO the only worthwhile developments in golf club technology over the last 50 years. The rest is just marketing hype, as in 'our 7 iron hits the ball further than other makes'!

P.S. When I started playing golf in the 1960's, nobody had ever heard of a gap wedge, because there was no need for them!

 

[Deleted member 15344]

The hybrid and perhaps adjustable drivers are IMHO the only worthwhile developments in golf club technology over the last 50 years. The rest is just marketing hype, as in 'our 7 iron hits the ball further than other makes'!

P.S. When I started playing golf in the 1960's, nobody had ever heard of a gap wedge, because there was no need for them!

So technology that you approve of is ok but ones you don't then you aren't ok about it ?

The game has moved on from the 60's - maybe it's time your attitude in regards golf club lofts did also

Have you thought that maybe people want the 7 iron loft a bit less so they could hit it further ?

 

[delc]

I've just read the latest edition of Golf World (April when it's still February!) and their equipment expert is questioning the trend towards ever longer and stronger irons!

 

[bobmac]

But if your 4 iron is 20 degrees, thats a 3 iron which means your 5 is a 4, your 6 is a 5 and so on. Therefor your PW is a 9 and your GW is a PW.
Instead of buying 9 irons 3 to SW, your now buying 9 irons 4 to SW including a GW which is the old PW.