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- #201
I’ve trashed them from the start, I think that’s part of why I’m willing to potentially commit a calendar year to the concept. Love, hate, or indifference, and just see where it goes.
One Length Irons Thread: Join the Revolution
@OITW also remember this place isn't typical golfers. 
the average THPer is WAY more informed that the normal neighborhood hacker. I think the concept is still brand new to a lot of people and I get that reaction all the time "wait, all your clubs are the same length?"
So to your question I think its two fold. 1) The tech has gotten better. 2) we have had enough sets out there that we are into the early adopter phase. It would be really cool to know what percentage of frequent players have switched into OL, but Don't think we've crossed the 15% number yet.
There is always resistance to something so new/different that eventually wears off. All model-Ts originally came in the color choice of black or black, now you want your Ford Fusion in Ruby red, sure no problem. That didn't happen over night either.
the average THPer is WAY more informed that the normal neighborhood hacker. I think the concept is still brand new to a lot of people and I get that reaction all the time "wait, all your clubs are the same length?" So to your question I think its two fold. 1) The tech has gotten better. 2) we have had enough sets out there that we are into the early adopter phase. It would be really cool to know what percentage of frequent players have switched into OL, but Don't think we've crossed the 15% number yet.
There is always resistance to something so new/different that eventually wears off. All model-Ts originally came in the color choice of black or black, now you want your Ford Fusion in Ruby red, sure no problem. That didn't happen over night either.
If you've ever heard Simon Sinek talk, he has a great discussion on this very topic. Very interesting on how it takes a while for a new innovation to really take hold with the majority, if it even gets to that point.@OITW also remember this place isn't typical golfers.
So to your question I think its two fold. 1) The tech has gotten better. 2) we have had enough sets out there that we are into the early adopter phase. It would be really cool to know what percentage of frequent players have switched into OL, but Don't think we've crossed the 15% number yet.
There is always resistance to something so new/different that eventually wears off. All model-Ts originally came in the color choice of black or black, now you want your Ford Fusion in Ruby red, sure no problem. That didn't happen over night either.
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I've been having some thought on this OL idea. I keep getting held up on the fact that I think I hit my 8i better than my 7i, so I'd want to change what Cobra offers because I think I hit my 8i better.
Then I think to myself, Cobra has been doing this for years, they have spent a lot of time and money on R&D looking into this, I'm pretty uninformed really (see the 'I think' comment above). So I think I trust Cobra more than I trust myself right now. Some of you I'm sure, if you're thinking about altering the stock length, have loads of data to back up why you would change X, Y, Z, and thus are making an informed decision. I'd be taking a guess at this point.
Then I think to myself, Cobra has been doing this for years, they have spent a lot of time and money on R&D looking into this, I'm pretty uninformed really (see the 'I think' comment above). So I think I trust Cobra more than I trust myself right now. Some of you I'm sure, if you're thinking about altering the stock length, have loads of data to back up why you would change X, Y, Z, and thus are making an informed decision. I'd be taking a guess at this point.
- Staff
- #205
Also the tech has improved the gapping, earlier generations had some issues, these don’t...
Totally normal to go 8 over 7i or heck, split the difference. Its only 0.5" so you could order the stock set -0.25" and wind up halfway between 8 and 7is. That's isn't going to dramatically change anything. Point is to be comfortable and confident!
OITW
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Yup, year over year they've shown improvement. I'm just comparing LY to right now, people definitely weren't this amenable to trying it.
Great point. I like having all these OL ambassadors in here!
Yup, that's where I originally learned about some of this stuff. The funny thing is I'm not an early adopter in most of my life. That's one of the magical aspects of the Morgan Cup, it freed me up from the financial burden of making this decision to jump into OL early. Talking to much if not most of my teammates they wish they'd taken the opportunity to explore OL too. My bold prediction is the 2021 MC competition is that 50% of the sets in the play will be OL
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I think the fact that it hasn't been a fly by night gimmick and is actually sticking is a huge reason. Cobra released it, is staying committed to it and it's now becoming more normal. Plus having Bryson out there with some dominating performances doesn't hurt.
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- #213
I think this needs some info to quantify though.
Are huge numbers of THPers ready to jump in and buy a set? Time will tell.
Are numbers increasing for those that will be given a full set in a THP Experience? Definitely.
OITW
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I agree that the conversion rate may be lacking at the end of the day, still surprised at the amount of people who are open to it vs the past where majority shite on it.
Looking at the previous MCs (off of memory)
2018 Two people went OL @mjkladis and @PatsFan
2019 @phoffer
2020 @Jmk202 and @oumagic
it's not like we've seen a steady progression YOY, but based on what we're seeing in the forum looks like it may be 1/2 of the participants in the MC depending on who is lucky enough to punch their tickets.
I believe we are seeing more general acceptance even outside THP. I've seen several people playing my local course with OL clubs. Some are doing it as an experiment, some because of Bryson, and some because they feel it gives them confidence of having a repeatable swing
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- #216
This is a huge part for me, something I’d like to put to the test over a year.
Luchnia
You will never conquer golf.
To me golf is about repeatable consistency to produce shots that keep low scores and if OL irons assist someone in that, it makes sense. I think it was Bryson who basically said that he was looking for a single consistent swing and one length gave him that.
It minimized the chance of introducing variables in stance, ball position, and swing. I am all for trying them. Whether they work for me, or not, time will tell. Since I have not been a tenured long time golfer, I may be a very good candidate for OL irons. I may try some out in 21, just not sure yet.
Luchnia
You will never conquer golf.
I have a buddy that is left handed and plays OLs and he does great with them. He loves the fact that he does not have to think about different stances, body positions, ball positions, etc. He just sets position and swings - done. I think I have four different swings right now and could see how that could be minimized.
I have played with him several times last year and I watched him closely with those clubs. After watching him I was intrigued at how well they work and I can see how they can work for a large number of golfers out there.
I think there are several factors contributing to golfers at least open to the OL idea.
- Tech has improved a great deal.
- Gapping and flight issues seem to have been adressed.
- There is considerable talk and awareness in mainstream media and social outlets. The more we see and hear, the more we accept.
- More sets are in play and the idea seems less of a gimmick. Few people have the fortitude to play clubs (and tech) that will be discontinued and make them feel like golfing freaks.
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Very interesting thread JB. All good info but for some reason I'm just not into the idea of ditching VL irons. I only know 2 people that use OL irons, my brother who has been using them for a few years. He started with a Wishon set and last hear he bought the Cobra forged tech and really likes them. The other is my dad, we got him a set a couple of years ago for Xmas. I have yet to see any other sets in play around here and come to think about it I'm not sure our local golf shop even has them on the rack?
how does lie angle work with OL sets?
I have always assumed same length + same swing = same lie, but they are quite different through the set.
In fact even more of a change than the VL set.
I have always assumed same length + same swing = same lie, but they are quite different through the set.
In fact even more of a change than the VL set.
I wish I could remember a more detailed answer, but from memory, the first OL club set had the same lie angles but they had a progressive shaft setup. Still, the long irons tended to blend together and not get adequate gapping. Through testing, they have found that progressive lie angles throughout the set help most golfers with their gapping and now you can use any set of shaft. I believe they started messing with the lie angles in F8 OL and have continuously played with that. I am not certain, but I believe that this is the first time that the loft on 4-6 irons is different than the variable set. So now they seem to be willing to design a set of OL irons that are different in lie, loft, and even swing weight.how does lie angle work with OL sets?
I have always assumed same length + same swing = same lie, but they are quite different through the set.
As far as the reason for the needed lie angle difference, I am murky there. I remember something being said that they have found repeatable results through testing that people are swinging the longer irons slightly harder than the 7 iron despite the "same swing" principle.
Once again, I am going off of memory and don't know for certain.
Edited: The King Forged Tec lofts were the same between OL and VL sets and that is my OL set. The Speedzone irons had different lofts in the 4-6 irons between OL and VL sets. The OL was .5 degree weaker between the sets in those irons. They have taken the willingness to change lofts between sets a step farther with RAD.
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phoffer
Resident ONE Length Guy
Most people still swing harder with the long irons, usually subconsciously, causing the heads to droop. Shifting slightly upright helps get the lie at impact closer to optimal for most golfers. The inverse applies to the shorter clubs.how does lie angle work with OL sets?
I have always assumed same length + same swing = same lie, but they are quite different through the set.
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In fact even more of a change than the VL set.
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@oumagic's history lesson is correct, original Cobra sets had matching lie angles (F7, Forged ONE), the F8s were the first with progressive lies, and they have been tweaking them ever since. The Speedzone irons were the first to have divergent lofts between OL and VL and that continued with the the RADs